Method of manufacturing a bowling pin

Abstract

A bowling pin including a body having a head, a neck, a ball line portion, and a base all integrally formed of a synthetic material. The body includes a hollow area and a longitudinal axis of the hollow area extends generally perpendicularly to a substantially planar bottom surface of the base. A method of manufacturing a bowling pin includes providing a mold shell having a mold cavity shaped substantially as a bowling pin, disposing a mandrel inside a mold cavity, introducing material into the mold cavity, cooling the material inside the mold cavity, removing the mandrel from the mold cavity, removing the material from the mold cavity, and cooling the material outside the mold cavity.

1. A method of manufacturing a bowling pin, comprising:
 providing a mold shell having a mold cavity shaped substantially as a bowling pin; 
 connecting a neck insert to an end of a mandrel; 
 disposing the connected mandrel and neck insert inside the mold cavity; 
 introducing material into the mold cavity; 
 cooling the material inside the mold cavity; 
 removing the mandrel from the mold cavity; 
 removing the material from the mold cavity; and 
 cooling the material outside the mold cavity, 
 wherein the material is formed into a body comprising a generally conical internal hollow area and an exposed exterior surface of the bowling pin having a head, neck, ball line portion, and base, and 
 wherein the removing the mandrel from the mold cavity comprises the neck insert remaining at the neck of the bowling pin. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the removing the mandrel from the mold cavity comprises disconnecting the neck insert from the mandrel such that the neck insert is not removed from the material. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling the material inside the mold cavity comprises introducing coolant into at least one passage contained within the mandrel. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cooling the material inside the mold cavity further comprises introducing another coolant into at least one passage contained within the mold shell. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the introducing the material comprises injecting a synthetic material into the mold cavity. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the material comprises ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the removing the mandrel from the mold cavity comprises applying a force with a hydraulic device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising attaching a base attachment that can be removed and replaced. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting the neck insert to the end of the mandrel comprises inserting an extension of the neck insert into a seat of the mandrel. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neck insert comprises a lock-in feature that engages the material to affix the neck insert to the body of the bowling pin. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the lock-in feature comprises an annular groove located between a shoulder and a rounded end of the neck insert. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is formed around the neck insert such that:
 the neck insert is disposed in the hollow area, 
 an end of the neck insert contacts the material at a termination end of the hollow area, and 
 the neck insert extends from the termination end to a portion of the bowling pin having a smallest diameter between the head and ball-line portion of the bowling pin. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the removing the mandrel from the mold cavity is performed before the removing the material from the mold cavity. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neck insert comprises metal and further comprising heating the neck insert to at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit before introducing the material into the cavity. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a size and shape of the mandrel and a size, shape, weight, material and location of the neck insert to achieve a desired neck strength, weight, and mass distribution of the bowling pin, and
 wherein the disposing the connected mandrel and neck insert inside the mold cavity comprises locating the neck insert at a location inside the mold cavity that corresponds to the neck of the bowling pin. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the material comprises ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, 
 the neck insert comprises at least one of polycarbonate, fiberglass-reinforced epoxy, fiberglass-reinforced thermosetting polyester, nylon, parallam, glass-filled nylon, aluminum, wood, and wood-based material, and 
 the desired weight is 3.375 to 3.625 pounds and the desired mass distribution comprises a center of gravity at a height of 5.625 to 5.937 inches. 
 
     
     
       17. A method of manufacturing a bowling pin, comprising:
 providing a mold shell having a mold cavity shaped substantially as a bowling pin; 
 connecting a neck insert to an end of a mandrel; 
 disposing the mandrel inside a mold cavity, 
 introducing a material comprising ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer into the mold cavity; 
 cooling the material inside the mold cavity; 
 removing the mandrel from the mold cavity; 
 after the removing the mandrel from the mold cavity, removing the material from the mold cavity; and 
 cooling the material outside the mold cavity, 
 wherein the material is formed into a body comprising a generally conical internal hollow area and an exposed exterior surface of the bowling pin, 
 selecting a size and a shape of the mandrel to achieve a predetermined shape of the hollow area such that: the hollow area extends from a base of the bowling pin to a termination point within the bowling pin, the hollow area has a constant diameter from the base of the bowling pin to a transition location, and the hollow area has a sidewall having a generally constant gradient extending from the transition location to another transition location or the termination point, and 
 the disposing the mandrel inside the mold cavity comprises arranging the neck insert at a location within the mold cavity that corresponds to a neck of the bowling pin and the body of the bowling pin is formed around the neck insert. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein an end of the neck insert contacts the material at a termination end of the hollow area. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the neck insert comprises a body, an extension at a first end of the body, and a rounded portion at a second end of the body opposite the first end, 
 the termination end of the hollow area comprises a rounded shape in contact with and corresponding to the rounded portion of the neck insert, 
 the mandrel comprises a seat corresponding in size to the extension such that the neck insert is disposed atop the mandrel, 
 an axial length of the neck insert is less than half an axial length of the hollow area, 
 the neck insert extends from the termination end to a portion of the bowling pin having a smallest diameter between a head and ball-line portion of the bowling pin, and 
 the neck insert is designed such that the bowling pin as a whole has a weight in a range of about 3 pounds and 6 ounces to about 3 pounds and 10 ounces. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the cooling the material inside the mold cavity comprises introducing coolant at about 42 degrees Fahrenheit to 64 degrees Fahrenheit into at least one passage contained within the mandrel, 
 the cooling the material inside the mold cavity further comprises introducing another coolant at about 42 degrees Fahrenheit to 64 degrees Fahrenheit into at least one passage contained within the mold shell, 
 the cooling the material inside the mold cavity is performed for about 6 to 8 minutes, and 
 the cooling the material outside the mold cavity comprises cooling the body in a water bath or shower at a temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit for a duration of about 55 to 65 minutes. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the cooling the material inside the mold cavity comprises cooling an inside of the pin via the mandrel and an outside of the pin via the mold shell prior to removing the mandrel and the pin from the mold cavity, and 
 the cooling the material outside the mold cavity comprises cooling the pin using a water bath. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising selecting the predetermined shape of the hollow area to achieve a desired weight and mass distribution of the bowling pin. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the desired weight is 3.375 to 3.625 pounds and the desired mass distribution comprises a center of gravity at a height of 5.625 to 5.937 inches.